The End Of The Beginning
by BasketKiwi
Summary: Following her father into the mists of another world, Lyra knows she has hard times ahead. Finding the window leading to the next stage of her adventure, she's ready as long as Pan is with her. Based on The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman.


_A/N: This is a fanfiction based on "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman. _This _was_ also _done for an English project, and I really didn't like it that much, but I decided to post it anyway. (n.n) **I don't own any of the setting or characters, just the arrangement of them.** _

**The End Of The Beginning**

Based on The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

Lyra walked through the mist for what seemed like years, surrounded by thick fog with no one but Pantalaimon for company. They _were _walking in some kind of forest, for once they came across a tree. Rejoicing at the sign of life, Lyra and Pan had walked around the tree, squinting into the endless gray fro accompanying foliage. Pan turned into a hawk and flew around a little before flying back to her, head low.

"I can't see a thing. This must be the only tree around here," he'd said with a sigh, but Lyra smiled lightly and hugged her d**F**mon to her chest as he transformed into a chestnut-colored ermine. She sighed too, but it was surprisingly light-hearted, and she told him, "Don't worry. It won't be long now. I can feel it."

Sure enough, a few hours later they came to another tree, this one thicker and surrounded by moister, greener blades of grass than they'd been walking on so far. They once again went in a circle around the tree, always within a ten-foot radius of it; not going too far for fear of losing themselves in the fog, but not spotting anything. Pan flew up and searched around a bit.

Lyra fidgeted with the hem of her woolen sweater; she'd already had to leave the thick fur coat and pants behind and was forcing herself to keep the heavy clothes on in case they would need them later; it was not too hot, but warm and humid. She glanced up at the branches of the tree, then stared hard into the mist, but to no avail. She couldn't see anything, let alone Pan. She could still feel him, though, straining their bond a little but not enough to hurt too badly; he wouldn't be twenty feet from her.

She thought about calling out, but was afraid of the consequences. What if he had already seen another few trees in the distance, but before he could memorize the direction he'd have to come back to see what was wrong with her? She pursed her lips and fell forward onto the tree, her fingers digging into the rough bark for support. Pan was going too far; he had to stop; surely he could feel this as well? Yes, he could, but she got the sense that he wanted to go _just_ a little farther . . .

And it was over. She could feel him coming back to her and she breathed again. The next second, she was hit in the middle of her chest with a small furry object and was too busy kissing and hugging and squeezing Pan to take any notice of what shape he'd taken.

"Never again," Lyra whispered, and he nodded his consent. "Well . . . " she said, slightly breathless, "did you see anything?"

Pan's little feline ears perked up and he made as close to a smile as a small lion could. "Yep! There's a line of trees and bushes over in that direction." He pointed with his paw to the area he'd just come from, though it all looked the same to Lyra. "And I think it had some berries."

"Oh!" she let out an odd little squeak. She hadn't been thinking about food, but now she that she was, she couldn't remember the last time she'd eaten. "Come on!"

Pan and Lyra ran into the mist, him a little way before, leading the way. The fog was so thick they could only see a few feet around them, and Lyra almost ran into the blueberry bush.

"FOOD!" she cried, and dropped to her feet at the row of meek branches and leaves that were arranged in a haggard line from one end of her fogged vision to the other. The few random blueberries adorning the bushes were almost too small to be ripe, but Lyra was so hungry she didn't care, she just crammed them into her mouth as fast as she could, her hands darting out and becoming stained slightly when the surprisingly mature juices squirted out. After eating so much both friends were full to bursting, they stood up (moaning and holding their stomachs) and walked on into the mist, following the line of trees and shrubs.

Pan and Lyra were wiped out. They'd been walking for hours, only stopping to rest a very few times and the food had presented them with another problem: surely they'd come across some form of civilization with a toilet? For the first half of the journey they'd chatted a little - mostly light-hearted things to keep their mind off past events and future tasks – but now they grew weary and silent. The lack of distracting babble left Lyra free to think about anything at all, and of course her mind strayed to the subject she'd been trying hardest to avoid.

She went over it again and again in her head: Roger had been her best friend, almost like family and certainly closer to her than anyone else at the college. She wondered if she'd have made it half as far as she had if it hadn't been for him; she hadn't been able to give up knowing her friend was out there, at any second facing the most cruel and disturbing thing she'd ever heard of in her life.

So she'd pushed on, coming closer and closer to Bolvangar and eventually ending up there and seeing him again after all that time! And she'd rescued him from those d**F**mon-ripping monsters, only to have him run into her own father and be killed. And he'd been _right there_, too, so close. She'd been holding him when his body had gone limp, his eyes trained on hers and her pleaded name on his lips.

And he'd never again jump in front of her when a brickburner chucked a particularly hard dirt clod at her dead; never follow her down into the basements of the college, biting his lip and suggesting casually they should turn back; never do anything lame and goofy again, like on her birthday, when he snuck into the kitchen and stole one of Chef's custard pies only to trip on the way out and land face-first in it just as the furious man walked in.

The sight of Chef's face alone had been a much better birthday present than the cake would've been anyway.

Pan flew down to her shoulder, becoming a small and furry mouse and snuggling deep into her hair as the silent tears fell down Lyra's face. She'd find Lord Asriel and _make_ him explain things to her; he'd be lucky if she didn't lose her temper and kill him; right now she was pretty sure she was angry enough. They'd find someone to help them, someone strong and brave and wonderful, and he or she would help them stop the monsters at the Church who were tearing children's souls out.

Just ahead, there was an odd glimmer in the air. Lyra squinted her eyes, then shook her head and thought nothing more of it until they were right on top of it, and she took one step and suddenly it wasn't a glimmer, it was a box of light. Bright golden rays shone from the window, and both she and Pan had to squint their eyes at the light until they got used to it and leaned in. Spread out before them was a narrow street with small, brightly colored buildings lining it, spaces large enough between them to see behind. A long scope of beach stretched out to meet a deep, lapping ocean. Lining the bright yellowish-orange sand were tall palm trees with wide-spreading leaves and rough-looking bark.

Pan and Lyra stood there for a minute, staring into the window with a mixture of shock and suspicion. They looked at each other and nodded. There was no knowing if the people in this world (if indeed they were human) were friendly or not, but it was better than the empty misted forest with they were in now. It was their only chance.

Stepping over the odd box hanging in the air, Lyra was immediately hit with a wave of moist heat and took her sweater off right away. Pan became a goldfinch and fluttered around her. They were in a new place, something new and scary and possibly – probably – dangerous. Bad things had happened and more were to come, but Lyra looked up at Pan, once again on her shoulder, and realized there was nowhere else she'd rather him be.

Gulping, she walked forward into this new world, her more-than-best friend on her shoulder and her mind already forming a plan.


End file.
